24 Then Yehoshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shekem. He summoned their elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God, 2 and Yehoshua told all the people, “Yahweh, the God of Israel says: Your ancestors including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates river from long ago, but they worshipped other gods.[ref] 3 Then I took your ancestor Abraham from beyond the river and brought him across all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants, including giving him Isaac.[ref] 4 Then I gave Yacob and Esau to Isaac, and I gave Esau the hill country of Seir but Yacob and his sons went down to Egypt.[ref] 5 I sent Mosheh and Aharon and I damaged Egypt internally, and then I brought you all out again.[ref] 6 I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, and you all came to the edge of the Red Sea. The Egyptians chased after them with chariots and horsemen[ref] 7 and the people cried out to Yahweh, and he placed darkness between you and the Egyptians. After bringing you all through the sea, he brought the sea over the Egyptian army and drowned them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Then you all lived a long time in the wilderness.

8 “After that, I brought you to the region of the Amorites who lived on the eastern side of the Yordan, and they battled against you all, but I gave you victory over them and I destroyed them from ahead of you and you all took over their land.[ref] 9 Then (Zippor’s son) King Balak of Moab prepared his warriors and fought against you all and he summoned (Beor’s son) Balaam to curse you.[ref] 10 But I wasn’t willing to listen to Balaam, so instead, he blessed you all repeatedly and I rescued you from King Balak. 11 Then you crossed over the Yordan river and arrived at Yericho. The men of Yericho fought against you all, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Yebusites but I helped you all to defeat them.[ref] 12 I sent hornets[fn] ahead of you all and they drove out the two Amorite kings—it wasn’t your swords or bows that did it.[ref] 13 So I gave you all a land which you didn’t earn yourselves and cities to live in that you all didn’t build yourselves. You all are benefitting from vineyards and olive groves that you didn’t plant.”[ref]

14 The Yehoshua continued, “Now you all must respect Yahweh and faithfully serve him with your complete beings. And you all must remove the idols that your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and only serve Yahweh. 15 But if you all dislike serving Yahweh, then choose for yourselves today who you will serve: perhaps the gods your fathers once served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorite people in whose land you are now living. But as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.”

16 “We’d never even consider leaving Yahweh to serve other gods,” the people responded, 17 “because Yahweh is our God. He is the one who brought us and our ancestors out from slavery in the land of Egypt, and who did those great miracles right in front of our eyes. Also, he looked after us on our entire journey and among all the people groups that we passed by. 18 Yahweh drove all the peoples out ahead of us, even the Amorites who lived in that region. So we too we will serve Yahweh because he is our God.”

19 “You all won’t be able to serve Yahweh,” warned Yehoshua, “because he’s a God who cannot mix with sin. He’s a jealous God—he won’t forgive your rebellion and disobedience. 20 If you forsake Yahweh and serve the gods of other nations, then he’ll turn and do harm to you all and destroy you, even if he’s previously been good to you all.”

21 But the people answered Yehoshua, “No, we will worship Yahweh.” 22 Then Yehoshua cautioned the people, “You all are witnesses against yourselves, that you yourselves have chosen to serve Yahweh.”

“We are witnesses,” they confirmed.

23 “Then you all go right now and remove the foreign gods that you already have, and turn your hearts towards Yahweh, the God of Israel,” said Yehoshua.

24 “We will serve our God Yahweh, and we will listen to his voice,” the people replied.

25 So Yehoshua made a formal agreement with the people in Shekem on that day, establishing rules and laws for them. 26 He wrote them in the book of God’s law. Then he took a large stone and set it up there beneath the oak tree that was by Yahweh’s sacred tent. 27 “Look at this stone,” Yehoshua said to all the people. “It will be for a witness against us, because it has heard everything that Yahweh has instructed us, and it will be for a witness against you all, in case you act deceptively against your God.” 28 Then Yehoshua sent all the people off to go to their allotted regions.